There has been a concern that certain portable devices, including personal computers, cellular telephones, and the like, may interfere with airline navigational equipment during takeoff or landing. The crew asks the passengers to shut down their devices prior to take-off or landing. Many people do not actually shut their device off. Also, some notebooks with poorly placed on/off switches can turn on unintentionally when bumped. These operating devices could cause interference with the airline""s navigational equipment.
Bluetooth is a standard that allows wireless communication from an electronic device to some hub of the wireless device. The Bluetooth specification is an open specification for wireless communication of data and voice, e.g. between laptop computers and cellular telephones. The standard is described, inter alia, at www.bluetooth.com.
Bluetooth wireless radios operate in the 2.4 GHz ISM band using a frequency hop transceiver. The standard enables operation using a special network topology, that allows point-to-point connection and point-to-multipoint connections.
Other wireless data communication standards are also known. For example, wireless ethernet, and other wireless network protocols are used in electronic devices.
Many portable devices, including notebook computers and personal digital assistants, may eventually have a Bluetooth specification device, or some other wireless communication device, integrated therein.
A system for detecting an electronic device is disclosed that has a radio which operates according to a specified standard, and which sends requests in the specified standard for answer by electronic modules which include radio reception and ability to operate with according to a defined standard. An alarm unit indicates an alarm when any of the devices respond.
The system can be a cellular telephone or other electronic device.